Identity Based Licensing: Understanding IDP

Identity-based licensing represents a modern approach to software access management that prioritizes user experience and security. Instead of traditional license keys, users authenticate through their identity credentials, similar to how they access other enterprise applications.

Key Benefits of Identity-Based Licensing

Identity-based licensing offers several advantages over traditional licensing methods:

• Seamless User Experience

  • Single sign-on (SSO) capabilities

  • No manual license key entry required

• Enhanced Security

  • Multi-factor authentication support

  • Reduced risk of license key sharing

• Enterprise Integration

  • Works with existing identity providers (IdPs)

  • Support for corporate SSO solutions

Identity Provider Integration

Our platform supports various identity providers through the OpenID Connect standard.

Organizations can use our hosted identity platform or integrate with their existing identity infrastructure. This flexibility ensures that end users can access their licensed applications using their corporate credentials, maintaining consistent security policies across their application ecosystem.

Enterprise Federation Support

For enterprise customers, our platform enables federation with corporate identity providers. This means employees at large organizations can use their existing corporate credentials to access licensed applications, simplifying user management and enhancing security compliance.

Identity-based licensing vs. Traditional Licensing

Feature	Traditional License Keys	Identity-Based Licensing
Activation	Manual entry of license key	User authentication (SSO, social)
User Experience	Can be slow, error-prone	Fast, seamless, immediate access
Security	Key sharing risk	Strong authentication, MFA
Integration	Minimal	Deep (IDP, CRM, e-commerce)
License Management	Manual, decentralized	Automated, centralized
Federation Support	No	Yes (corporate SSO, OpenID Connect)

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Entitlements with Identity

• Seamlessly integrate with whichever IDP you use

• Based on open standards such as OpenID Connect, OAuth2, and SAML2

• Gives your customers an easy way to access all your applications using a single identity, from SaaS to On-Prem to IoT

• Supports Federated Identity environments as well

Identity federation supports federated single sign-on access using SAML, allowing users to access various applications, including AWS services and third-party platforms, through a single authentication process.

External users can access applications using their existing accounts from various IdPs, enhancing security and simplifying the onboarding process for guests collaborating on shared resources.

Frictionless use and adoption of your products by your customers with user access

For username/password access to your software, your customers can get started using your software in a frictionless way. Identity providers like Amazon Cognito and Microsoft Entra facilitate the sign-in process for users by managing user identities, allowing external users to easily sign in to apps and services without custom coding for authentication.

Driven by E-Commerce or Order Processing performed from within your CRM, Zentitle instantly creates and fulfills each customer’s entitlements, however simple or complex. Whether your products are on-premise, SaaS, IoT, a mix of hybrid offerings, or an extensive product portfolio, your customers can access what they need. Business customers making multi-seat purchases can configure for themselves which members of their workforce should have access, making changes as needed.

The system efficiently manages and processes user requests, ensuring smooth authentication and directing requests to the appropriate services.

More about Identity based licensing

Identity providers play a crucial role in managing user identities and authentication processes. They manage user accounts, ensuring each user has a unique identity and appropriate access permissions. These providers enable single sign-on (SSO) capabilities, allowing users to access multiple services with one set of credentials. The authentication system integrates with identity management processes to validate user credentials and manage permissions within various applications. Additionally, identity providers implement security measures like account lockout mechanisms to protect against unauthorized access. Federation with an external identity provider, such as Microsoft accounts, Google, and SAML/WS-Fed, facilitates seamless access for external users and enhances collaboration without requiring separate credentials for each service.

Introduction to Identity Providers

An identity provider (IdP) system creates, maintains, and manages identity information while providing application authentication services. Identity providers play a crucial role in verifying the identity of users and ensuring secure access to resources and services. By leveraging external identity providers like Google and Facebook, users can access multiple applications with single credentials, simplifying the user experience.

Identity providers employ various authentication methods to verify a user’s identity. These methods include password authentication, biometric authentication, and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Password authentication relies on user credentials, such as usernames and passwords, while biometric authentication uses unique biological traits like fingerprints or facial recognition. Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple verification forms.

The primary function of an identity provider is to manage user identities and provide application authentication services. This ensures that only authorized users can access sensitive data and services, maintaining the system's security and integrity.

Authentication Fundamentals

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user, device, or system to ensure that they are who they claim to be. It is a critical component of identity access management (IAM) systems, which manage user identities and control access to resources and services. User credentials, such as usernames and passwords, are commonly used to authenticate users and verify their identity.

Authentication protocols, such as Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) and OpenID Connect (OIDC), facilitate authentication between identity providers and service providers and ensure that authentication requests are securely transmitted and processed.

Authentication factors verify a user’s identity and provide an additional layer of security. These factors include something you know (password), something you have (smart card), and something you are (biometric data). By combining multiple authentication factors, IAM systems can enhance security and reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

Access Management

Access management refers to managing user access to resources and services, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive data and systems. Identity providers play a crucial role in access management by verifying the identity of users and providing authentication services to applications.

Effective access management involves managing user identities, authentication, and authorization. This ensures users have access rights to perform their jobs while preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data and systems. External identity providers, such as social identity providers, can manage access to multiple applications and services, providing a seamless user experience.

Access management is critical in preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data and systems and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. By implementing robust access management practices, organizations can protect their resources and maintain the security and integrity of their systems.

Security Considerations

Security is critical in authentication and access management, as unauthorized access to sensitive data and systems can have serious consequences. Identity providers must ensure that user credentials are securely stored and transmitted, and that authentication protocols are secure and resistant to brute force attacks.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides an additional layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple verification factors. This makes it more difficult for attackers to gain unauthorized access. Identity governance is also essential in ensuring that user identities are appropriately managed and access rights are granted and revoked as necessary.

Regular security audits and risk assessments are necessary to identify vulnerabilities and ensure that authentication and access management systems comply with regulatory requirements. By prioritizing security, organizations can protect their data and systems from potential threats and maintain their users' trust.